Player-piano unit



' March 9 1926. 1,575,746

0. A. ERICSON PLAYER PIANO UNIT Filed Dec. 11, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 J I 72. Q9 50 65 Q v T jmvefliffr Oscar J7. Eric/50114 O. A, ERICSON Filed Dec. 11, 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .n E o W N a n 5 u w. w w T II. I III. I.. l|| .lllllfllllllullllillllJllll w B2 M j March 9,1926.

0. A. ERICSON PLAYER PIANO UNIT Filed Dec. 11} 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 9 1926. 1,575,746

0. A. ERICSON PLAYER PIANO UNIT Filed Dec ll 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F.lilllllll, 7 W/ v ll 45 1 571'10. e0 1 .16 5 g0 55 60 5196 g5 25 .zz 1\ 55 a;

i v: 5 1 V 66 Q3 94" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A1GOBPO'BATION "0F ILLINoIs. I

IPLAYERQ-LPIANOV U II.

ip' ili cation filedjecember 11, 1922;: Serial 110,606,049.

' (Be t' known thatIL l o ql l ioiyoivtjit may cnoemr e, I OSCAR A. ER osoN; B f ti en of theftllriited States,- I residing I at V chibelgo; in'tli e of Cook 'zir d State- 'Bbf ;Illi1i0is, haye invented certain-"new and" ji seflil Improvements in Player-Piano Units,'

I I {Which the following-dis a speeifioatioii. v

I This'-'inverflti'oi relates *to player pianos, end has for its main object'to "simplify and .1 render fl r' io're compact certain elements; of

I he plz yeifmeehanismiandto-Iacilitete the v 'te'sftiiigfendeubsequent installation thereof gin i the pia no caseg Thefipre sent invention 1f"blealsfwith elements thatfare'for the mostv partjooniinonly located the loiwe'i' portion of: the. pialiio case below the level of. the. u hauters,.; gyaeuiim lorf s tabiliz'eiiflb-eies and ti eble 'pctioii V tieble 'expi'ee sion gcontrol-o '7 ir poj-feglilator, motor e it e fl r; i Dwe ?l m; wmlimiw iifiheri adji notive gde'viees." ile ietofqreithas been; the i ieual" "pr ctice", to; construct and Withiii the npiailoflcese vz ttieliing them to the walls o f the I latter' I or to internal supporting I 'ffdme WoikjaIidl miting them for Icoopei'aa t 've. Be h I fi h l agen y f Su a ho e'-{ oonriections. 1 Siiehj-bcnstnuctiOn ob- 3 vioiisly requifes these pai ts to) be sep arately assembled aiid ipountedj iihi the piano ease, and-to beitested after'they have been: so assembled; and.iffxthe?test flis ;lliieatie.

I factory, be removed, fojorreot ed v 35' and thenrenioiinted a id i'eaiseenibledg 1 Witli "Wel 'iendet ng- 's' siiiiplifyi ig the structure and [of pipes and hosefas heretofore on, novel I ciple of the invention, and in' ivhioh'' the right ofFig: 3;"an'dshowi1ig I 7 a. "face vie v g I I v removed to how ir terioi parts;

I mount ":these "various devicesfindependently I I offuwith the ff1117iplite lfemoved ftO ShOW ently controlled; i I 7 I Referring-tothe drawings;5-2designates '21s I feetiii'es (5i 1e1;1 11ctiii'e and organization, and I V the zidvintages atteiidai t thei'eoiiiwill be readily understood bjpersonsekilledin thetakei iii connection with'the accompanying @rewm s wherein I have illustrated pprae tlc'al' and approved embodiment of the Fig. .l -is affront .elevatioi of my improved player piano unit show'ing the pedals in folded position; I I I 2 is at rear elevatioi of the unit;

Fig; 3 is a top' plan' viewiwith the pedals shown .ii unfolded or working position;

(Figgt'is an end; elevation, viewed from tion of the unit inIa piano easeg' the: posi PAW- T I Ios A1 A, ERIosON, o eIIIeAG LLmoIs; As'sIGNoRIo w. w. KIMFALL oomiexiwfoe art from thefollowing detaile d deeoription; so I piin ' Fig. 5 is feii ienlargedi'yertical section joi expression gove1 nor,'jwith-1 the front 131M157 interior parts tempo regulator, nioto'r aii' regulator and 1e; I

Toll device; With the froiit plateremoved to" dls'olose interior parts, agid 'theQregul'ator' pnei matic in s'eetiony I I Flg. 10 is a vertlcal section onjthe offset;

f Fig. 12 isja;'hoi'izontalf sectionthio'uglf I g. 113 is a, 'vertioal i '1o1igiti dinai1 eeetioii se ction'through. the 'valve box oil 1 the line 16 16 of Figs. 1 and The unit herein shown ie designed for divided player act1on; Ithetfis, one whei'eiii' the treble-and bass th'e'plane'oif the. ine e z ioo portions: are indepeiid;

' of the limit and constitutes a single uhitary' Wind trunk; this'hollovv box'also' possessing the additional "functions of a "vacuum stabah entirety 1 1 narrow hollow h'orizoiltal ly disposed box' that ,lexteiids the $1111" -.Width' i1izer and wind conductor. Attached at 7 their upperends to therear sideof theend portions of the wind trunk 5 are a pair of depending blocks 6 and 7 hollowed outtto.

' form windfpassag'eszts hereinafter described and'constituting base members ofthe action cuto-fi'sv Fahd thejexpl'fession. governors.

Attached at 'thei-r ipper ends a and 6 tending'lbel'dtv them side .of'the 1tr111ik" 5; are the i'usualyexhaiisters 8, :operi atedjby the pedals 9,:Which latterarefshovvn in Fig. 1.inlltoldedpo'sitioii;ITheiexhapsters 8 communicate w th the wind trunk-.1

tl a'rough".va1vet 1'port's10 (Figifl') in itsfr'ear Wall. -At; oiie side. of the exhausters 811$ 10:

cated the main vacuum stabiIizef-orlfeser- 1 voir 1 1;. this latter also being attached at lts.

' upper. end to and lextendihg'ihelow the rear side of the. w-iiidtriiiik; 5- andfcommiiriicatih'g At; the ends; of. the?vviiidjt h1 5 ai e-locatedl'valve mechanisms desighated as an I 6 entiretyby 7-13.andi'c oihihoiilvfknown as:ac-,

' tun e b w en t e jex e s s v a d; t e; va-

tionfiit ofl's which "serve tome off the air trunk of itheplayer. act-iqr'ii, Whe he ."record 1 sheet -i's being? render theylayer lac'tfl ,go'vernors or controllers"desigiiate'd"as ah 'eiitirety b 14, these'latterIb'eiiigattachedto the from: faces ofthebleeks'e andfr; Since j actio' di t y wit 'i; fo -med through th for the base ahd treblejsectioiis' of the layer I fare identical, a ,desfcriptionfoi Lorie- ;will. suffice'; i

Mounted the chamber of the .piie imaticitheya r flows thro igh a 190113 18 (F gs; ;;md vyiiiatiie lower f'portioii ,of' its Tstationar y :rea-riwaH into, aii elongated duct or'chamb'er 1-9, formed i in the: block; 6 and "extending nearly to the top of the latteigfiwhere it communicates.

v with hole 20". fo rmed through the front 6 face of'the block" and extending also. through a solidj end ortio 1 5.? of the 'iivind trunk and throu'ghthe bda1f11 all Ian o'b- 510mg chan1beri'21' ithat is] formed in a block. i

'iber QI-the air-flowsthioiigh a port 24: (Figs;

" matic 26;, th ellfront faceofwhi [24. this: .p iehmatic being .no rmallydeflated projectiiig 'uppeif" end .31: that flwhen th V hand; opeiiihgltinder;the;thrustfbf e-rolled, so as to- N V v anunicat es" directlyfwith tlie1passage 19jjof the action cut-offs a'fid'expresslongovernors! I v r toprovide'a;c1irect.ai1d,unre t injth'e outeredge I of each block stricted 'coimnunication from; theintei iolr ,Ofix Gland 7 is'a nipple 15 connected hose 7 up to the vacuum trunk. of. thep'layer aeitien; v Theinherendpf the nipple l5'commhnicatesg a1 port 16 (Fig:- 7 ront face. of the block" .+6' "afidf the' refar s tlonary wall o'ftheiahtof mafia ;expressioii-goveriiingi phe imatic that? jisfafilitChGd' to the fI'OIlt; f2tC8 thez said f .iblo-ck E'Ihis port l'6}commun ic1 es I chamber of the pnfimatic;t11e'=m, able-side of; h-ichf'latteii is [designated by'l-.-l7',ffthe same being hihged at .it-s lowef-e" 19. when itfi sfd'e sired to obta'i air r g iawrp 's'tabihlzieitgaiid re-roll mech n sm; the idetails' ofiwhi'ch are shown i ith the.

"Fre

her 42 1s vanoblong port .43: commil niczatih 22 attached to the, front face "of the Wind trunk, "said chamber being closed by a -removable' 'ooveh p1at'e" 2-3.f 'From" the chem 6 and 8) in the bottom all of the'chamber-into"ashallow valve chamber 25 in the. windtrunkthat'con municates freely at one-1 side with? th -ei nteri'or of the latter. VVithim the chamber "25 ismour tedfla ,fiouch pneu c "constitutes a cuteoft or gate valve cohtrollinglthe port {Fig.f 8 th at is attached -to theib'ottom 10f thelehamber 21 projects through-t port 24L, ai1d;hears on the front faeeg of the gate valve, The port -l8: of the expressio i..goveIjnQb is automatically regulated. as. tdicapacitylby a valve disk 28 mounted onthe lower .:ehd of a lever 29 pivoted tit-3.0 to the fiXed -Sid of the pneu niatic arid having jforwardly movable side of. the pneumatic is dravvn i I ardly by the. lvacuum: against I the t en'sio of :a pull' spriiig 32, rstiikes the gupperi n 3 e. we v e lid"Sentient-Cl se the port. .18, thereby reducing: the, streng of thefsiictioh; ithe valve28, on the l other t 5 sprin e i n i iv hr 'le v r when; the "suction is lessened and I the; move ahle side lolf the pheumatic swihg s outwardly un'derfthepuli of-it'sfspring 32;] Iii' the upper "end offthe rea r fixed sidefzofjthe expressioii' governor ."is a port 34 that cointhe block-6 jai d isg.i ormally' closed by a'w P u N mat .a h h la t I hen. deflated, is opened by alight leaf spring the governor pneumatic to the. :tfind a a ei r efie jpf thegwingl p0. regu1atQIj IriQt9i "Attached to? the IfrQIiIt trunk is a'gc'ombined teh Figs; I 9; 101 51116, 11 This inchides ,a bo; designated. as an'TeIit-irety byj 37fthe, interior of Y which isfdiyid'ed by a .1oiigit1idiiia1j:pattiti0'nf},f3 8 and "-vertica1.partitionfifl ihtp an upper chamber. 4.0""a nd two lower' chambeis vvith the interioriof the ;Wind truhk- 5;; port 43' being automatically regulated as size bya pivoted throttle "valve 44 iconnected to and actuated bythemovablei side of an, underlying governor pneumatic 5 15, the interior of which pneumatic jcom liiimicates freely with the .bharhbenfQ. through 1 a PM? -;l p ui ienl Bi .a b ong.;fl

ated-flsliding tempo valve 'jwhi'ch, by a greater or less} opening of the port -47,

47 coiltrollediby the usual lever-opergoverns 'the s-speedwof the: motor, thespeed,

being maintained oonstantfor any set pos'i "tion of valve A8 bythe'governo'r pneumatic andthrottlevalve-44. The upper cham-' ber 40;?communicates freely through an el bow nipple 4-9 anda hose with the music roll motor. I v

In the 'm-science is another ,port 51 normally closed by hinged flap .valve 52,

this latterbeing opened when the motor is reversechi to eii'ect therapid *rewinding or rerolling of theniusic sheet, by a pouch pneumatie .53- located in "the chamber 4].

' v this latter chamber being in free communi cation with-the wind trunk 5through a port 54 (Fig.9); m

7 Attached to the face ofthe main vacuum reservoir;v or Stabilizer 11 is a valve-box des ig'nated' as'an entirety by55 which contains pneumatically operated valves that] eifect' 'the closing o'f theaction cut-oil or gate Valves 26, the opening of the forte expression valves "35, and the opening of the re-roll valve 52, through'the manual manipulation of the ,usualbuttons or levers (not shown) on the'lreybed of the instrument. The de' vtails ofthis valve box are" shown in Figs.

' l2 to' 16 inclusive. In the center of: this boxis a-normally closed mushroom valve'56, the operating diaphragm 56 ofiwhichis expended by atmospheric air admitted through a 'nipple 57 and a hose connected to the lat- I .ter When the appropriate-button in the keybed is depressed. The raisinglof the valve 56]allows atmosphericair to flow through tubes 5 8and ducts 59 (Figs. 6 and 8) into 1 the pouches ofthe action Pout-offv or gate v valves26', and also at: the same time permits 'atmosphericair to flow throughduct 60 too the operating pneumatic 53 ,ofthe re-roll ,lvalve 52, op'ening the latter.) "On either side i, of the. central valve. 56 is a valve 61 controlling'aa Sport 62 open "to' the atmosphere v "through"thectop--wall of the box-55, and

wnorm'ally' open}, so as to permit watmo-s pheridpressure to flow through the port 162,-?duct 63 ,(Fig 12 hose 63 (Fig. 1)

' I the] fortefl expression T valves 7 35 expand ingthe' pouch of the latter and maini taming the expressionvalve in closed'posi- .55

tion. when, however, the appropriate I button in the ,keybed is depressed, air is admitted through a hose 65 and nipple 66 be heath the operating diaphragm 61 of the .-valve 61, raising thelatter, closing port 62, and placingt-he duct63 in communication with the vacuum chamber 55" of the box 55,

e which chamber is in open communication with the vacuum reservoir or stabilizer 11 thro'ugha port 67-. (Figs. 14 andlG) and thus subject to; the vacuum existing in the latter. -This creates"equal' pressure conditions on oppositesides of the forte expression-valve and'the latter is instantly opened by its spring 36.

described parts assembled asa unit in the lower portion of the piano case, I attach to thefro-nt stationary faces of-the two exhausters 8 a-pair of. depending blocks 68, to

the front faces of which are attached iron strips 69 each having on its lower end a for- F or the purpose of rigidly'm'ounting'the wardly extending substantially horizontal I forked foot 70 adaptedto receive fastening screws screwed into a-jbase block 71 of the piano case (Fig. 4); and'to the'fro-nt face of the wind trunk 5, centrally thereof, I

attach aniron strip 72, the upper end pore tion ofjwhioh projects above the wind trunk and is Iremovably engaged with a locking notch 73 in a leaf spring 745' attached to the under side of the keybed. Thus, by the tightening and loosening of two screws and the upward bending of spring 74,the unit may be bodily mounted in and removed from the piano case, by simply withdrawing the usual removable lower front panel of the latter.

"The' advantages of the: invention will be I readily understood from the foregoing description; '1' By means of the unitary struo' ture, the various co-operating elements are manifestly assembled in a very compact relation. By connectingthe elements for the flow of the air current for the most part 'di- 7 through the intermediary of nipples and rectly by registering ports, instead of hose, a considerable economy ofmaterial is effected, and the air passages are rendered more direct; The main advantage, however, resides in the fact that the construction admits of the complete assembling and testing of the unit before it is installed in the piano case, thereby obviating the'necessity of first separately mouting and then'connecting up the several elements w1th1n the piano case,-

a'nd subsequently removing them'in case the test discloses; faulty construct-ion at any pointor points. i Y

, I claim In a player piano apparatus, the combination of a horizontally disposed box forming a wind trunk, exhausters directly attached at their upper ends to a Wall of saidbox and "communicating with the latter through'rega 4' istering ports formed in their 7 contacting communicating interiorly with the end portions of said box, respectively, treble and bass expression governorsflrigid'ly connected to said box and commun cating interiorly fiwith. .th 'la-tteli through said actionbut-ofis; the latter through registering ports, air 0011- avtemp'o regulator and reroll"valyeibpth diducto rs cbinnecting said cont-rol-valv'e'mcl-l-Q 10' rjectly mounted on {said -.W-ind'1in 1nl zmd anisin witllsaid aqtibn; cub -fl's, expression; communicating with *the latter through governors. and' res-r011 va1Ve,a nd means for-f registering ports formed in their ccintacting mounting. said.partsl as a'unit. Within the 3.

walls; a, pneumatically j0 .p ;mtd cdntrol lower pottionof-the pia'rio'c'lase. valv mechanism mounted on said'vaouumi I V x r I j 7 7 v 'reservoir andcommunicatingdirectly with OSCAR AVERIC SON. 

